566 replies to this topic

[SophieB]

Well, it's here. We're *this* close to staggering over the finishing line of this seemingly endless season and then that's it, kids. So let's try and enjoy it at this track where nothing controversial has ever happened ever. 
 
Now, I know you possibly think with the WDC and WCC long wrapped up that nothing could excite you about this weekend but I bring thrilling news: Abu Dhabi has a new podium!

S
@mielology
Nov 19
New podium for the #AbuDhabiGP 2023!
https://x.com/mielol...8436554927?s=20
 
So I guess the drivers will slowly revolve around, like a restaurant at the top of a skyscraper or dessert trolley in a hotel dining room or seaside cafe. It's very nice. Not as good as the Sphere, which I am kind of missing already but, y'know, nice.
 
WCC

There's also the small matter of whether Mercedes can overhaul Ferrari for second place in the constructors' championship too.
 

 
WDC lower placings here:
 

 
When is it on?
 
 
GMT:

 
LOCAL TIME: 

GMT+4

 

 

Enjoy! What has been the highlight of your 2023 F1 season?

[Beri]

It is admirable and amazing how you have polished this turd into something fitting Sophie! The least anticipated Grand Prix of them all and you have provided it with a worthy build up thread 

 

Did I mention my "enthousiasm" already?

[SophieB]

I can’t help thinking it was this sort of thing that eventually brought about the abomination that was double points for this place so from then on I for one have always let it be known that I love the AD Grand Prix, it is brilliant!

 

Just in case…

[PayasYouRace]

The best bit about Abu Dhabi is that I often end up watching it with friends in a pub.

[SophieB]

Weird we have no retirements this year. Unless I’ve forgotten someone?
 

[Burtros]

I think it’s funny they pay all this money to host the last race of the year and no one can apparently be bothered with it this year.

It’s a terrible track and a terrible venue but it’s a motor race and the last one of the year in all the series I watch so it’ll get my full attention. I’ll miss it on a cold boring weekend in late January.

I’ll wait and see if anyone can take it to Max as usual. Then be disappointed when no one can!

Edited by Burtros, 22 November 2023 - 10:49.

[Beri]

I can’t help thinking it was this sort of thing that eventually brought about the abomination that was double points for this place so from then on I for one have always let it be known that I love the AD Grand Prix, it is brilliant!

 

Just in case…

 

I totally understand. That is why there is absolutely 100% not one tiny bit of sarcasm in my first post.

[Grippy]

F1 kids are back as well

https://www.formula1...pN7XBSMqxg.html

[RainyAfterlifeDaylight]

What I want from AbuDhabi GP:

 

- Fernando Alonso win

- AstonMartin to beat McLaren in WCC

- Ferrari to beat Mercedes in WCC

- Adrian Newey announce joining another team, so RedBull become irrelevant to Formula1, once and for all 

[Beri]

What I want from AbuDhabi GP:

 

- Fernando Alonso win

- AstonMartin to beat McLaren in WCC

- Ferrari to beat Mercedes in WCC

- Adrian Newey announce joining another team, so RedBull become irrelevant to Formula1, once and for all 

 

 

Williams.

[PayasYouRace]

What I want from AbuDhabi GP:

- Fernando Alonso win
- AstonMartin to beat McLaren in WCC
- Ferrari to beat Mercedes in WCC
- Adrian Newey announce joining another team, so RedBull become irrelevant to Formula1, once and for all

If Alonso wins and Lewis has a bad day Fernando could still win the No Red Bull title.

[SenorSjon]

I hope Verstappen will break the 1000 laps led record (not counting sprints). He needs 48 laps iirc.

[TheFish]

I am mostly looking to the season being over. It's been one of the worst I can remember. Obviously the titles were decided by pre season testing, but I can't remember a single exciting race. So many races and yet so few memorable ones.

 

Fingers crossed one of Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren or Aston Martin can pull their finger out and make Red Bull have to work for it next year.

[SteveHam]

If Alonso wins and Lewis has a bad day Fernando could still win the No Red Bull title.

Lewis has already won the no Redbull Title

[F1Frog]

I am mostly looking to the season being over. It's been one of the worst I can remember. Obviously the titles were decided by pre season testing, but I can't remember a single exciting race. So many races and yet so few memorable ones.

Fingers crossed one of Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren or Aston Martin can pull their finger out and make Red Bull have to work for it next year.

It hasn’t been a great season but the second half was a lot better than the first. Singapore was a brilliant race, Austin the next best.

[IrvTheSwerve]

Lewis has already won the no Redbull Title

Nope. 
 

(I’m sure PAYR will link to the spreadsheet…)

[SteveHam]

Nope.

(I’m sure PAYR will link to the spreadsheet…)

😂 Spreadsheet

I’ll just look at the official standings

[IrvTheSwerve]

Spreadsheet

I’ll just look at the official standings

Yes, if there were no Redbulls then the points awarded at each race wouldn’t be the same would it. It’s not just a case of deleting them off the WDC standings.

 

It’s only a bit of fun.

[SteveHam]

Yes, if there were no Redbulls then the points awarded at each race wouldn’t be the same would it. It’s not just a case of deleting them off the WDC standings.

It’s only a bit of fun.

Oh yeah 😂

Now I know why I only got a C in English and Maths at School

[d246]

The new podium reminds me of a doner kebab stand.

[lewislorenzo]

If Alonso wins and Lewis has a bad day Fernando could still win the No Red Bull title.

Didn’t know you were referring to your spreadsheet😂

Will there be a gala?

[ConsiderAndGo]

Oh I thought it was next weekend !

Still, not a worthy GP to change my plans. I’ll follow on live timing.

Edited by ConsiderAndGo, 22 November 2023 - 12:11.

[Goron3]

The new version of the circuit is much better than the older one but as always it will probably be a standard one stopper with virtually no deg on the Hard tyre.

 

For the life of me, I don't understand why they don't bring the start time forward by 1 hour. The hotter track temperatures that you get just an hour or so earlier lead to so much more deg, and we see this play out in FP1, FP3 and the beginning of qualifying. The track cools rapidly by the time the race gets going and it makes it too predictable.

[jonpollak]

LV podium top 3 want to end next season in Lost Wages.

https://www.autospor...inale/10549880/

Perez makes his reasons known….

"We need to look at it and probably make Vegas the final race. That will be also very nice for me; I'm only two hours away from Guadalajara so that would be a nice end!"

And that’s good enough reason for me…
Jp

[SophieB]

LV podium top 3 want to end next season in Lost Wages.

https://www.autospor...inale/10549880/

Perez makes his reasons known….

"We need to look at it and probably make Vegas the final race. That will be also very nice for me; I'm only two hours away from Guadalajara so that would be a nice end!"

And that’s good enough reason for me…
Jp

 

Well, it would suit me. AD does feel a bit after the lord mayor's show now.

 

er, I mean, a totally unmissable spectacle, as ever, of course.

[Beri]

AD has never been a fitting venue for any seasons ending.

[jeffers]

i hope Ferrari do a 1-2  and dedicate the win to Toto

[DW46]

It’s only a bit of fun.

Blasphemy, it deserves its own Wikipedia entry.

[PayasYouRace]

Didn’t know you were referring to your spreadsheet😂

Will there be a gala?

Yeah. There will be sausage rolls.

[jcbc3]

[IrvTheSwerve]

Yeah. There will be sausage rolls.

 

I do like a Gala.

 

[DW46]

Yeah. There will be sausage rolls.

Lewis is bringing the Vegan rolls, Fred’s sorting Olives and Bread. Toto’s boycotting, something about a stopwatch and a rocket ship. Sending Shovlin and D’Ambrosio instead.

[Counterbalance]

Yeah. There will be sausage rolls.

At least throw in some crisps and cold pizza, man!

[Ruusperi]

The only good thing in Abu Dhabi GP is that you don't have to worry about next Abu Dhabi GP for the next ~350 days. That is, until they buy another slot in the calendar. 

[PayasYouRace]

I can exclusively reveal that the No Red Bull Championship Gala will be held on Saturday 2nd December and be catered by Brian Butterfield.

https://youtu.be/1Nj...WiOA5NVL85HWEfr

[IrvTheSwerve]

I can exclusively reveal that the No Red Bull Championship Gala will be held on Saturday 2nd December and be catered by Brian Butterfield.

https://youtu.be/1Nj...WiOA5NVL85HWEfr

 

Hah, not seen that in years.

 

"bonbonbonbons!"

[IrvTheSwerve]

Sending Shovlin and D’Ambrosio instead.

 

I hope Shov is bringing a dessert to go with the custard!

[SophieB]

By the way, doesn’t it seem more than a year since Vettel retired?

[sportyskells]

Have we had a max dnf yet? I think he due one

[Ali623]

Have we had a max dnf yet? I think he due one

 

Australia 2022 was the last one.

[TheFish]

By the way, doesn’t it seem more than a year since Vettel retired?

I recently did a race on F1 22 and was shocked to see him on there. Amazing how quick sport moves on.

[PayasYouRace]

By the way, doesn’t it seem more than a year since Vettel retired?

I feel like we’ve had two seasons worth of races since then.

[Boxerevo]

Have we had a max dnf yet? I think he due one

 

Me waiting for this car having a terminal problem. (With Max safe, ok.)

Edited by Boxerevo, 22 November 2023 - 14:54.

[Gravelngrass]

Apparently some people think Las Vegas was the best race of 2023 https://www.motorspo...etter/10549763/, so this could potentially be “even better”…

Edited by Gravelngrass, 22 November 2023 - 14:51.

[SophieB]

So what was the best race, then? To aid this, I added a poll. Which probably doesn’t work but I did my best.

[JimmyClark]

Vegas as an event felt like the season's end - we might not have liked the over the top nature of it, but I almost forgot there was another race a week later. If we can't have Interlagos or Suzuka, give me the Vegas race as the final blow-out of the season. 

 

Abu Dhabi just feels like an afterthought. Crap track for racing, driving challenge and aesthetics, no atmosphere, somehow we are on our 15th race here yet I can barely remember a thing that's happened beyond obvious title deciders (2010, 2014, 2016 and 2021, most of which were famed for the inability of the protagonists to race, and the other was known more for FIA shenanegins rather than on-track action). 2012 is the only race that sticks in the mind beyond those. Ironically that's the only one that wasn't shoehorned in at the end as the last race. 

 

I might not even watch the race as I've got stuff going on on Sunday, and not long ago this would hurt me, but given how dull races here generally are and, results-wise, Max has got the pole and win here for the past 3 years, will I be missing much? I doubt even the drivers are that arsed. 

Edited by JimmyClark, 22 November 2023 - 15:04.

[JimmyClark]

So what was the best race, then? To aid this, I added a poll. Which probably doesn’t work but I did my best.

 

I voted Zandvoort. 

[SophieB]

I watched every race except the one where Hamilton crashed into George (I had a migraine) but can’t easily remember many of them. Now I think about it, I really did enjoy Brazil for the Alonso stealing third at the end thing.

[IrvTheSwerve]

So what was the best race, then? To aid this, I added a poll. Which probably doesn’t work but I did my best.

 

Honestly, I genuinely can't remember any of the races this season - despite watching them all. If someone was to remind me 'X driver crashed there' or 'there was a battle between X and Y there' I would probably twig, but of the top of my head I've no idea what happened at Silverstone, Spa, Austria, [insert any other race].

 

Probably some recency bias but I did enjoy the whole Vegas weekend. The whole drama on Friday, as painful and cringing as it was, was kind of entertaining for the wrong reasons (not for the fans that had paid for it obviously!). I enjoyed the race, it was a track that had a 'different' layout to most of the Tilke cookie-cutter stuff...a battle for the lead, plus that final corner had an epic camera shot. 

 

But yeah, it's been a forgetful season...which is a shame really as it's been really close behind Verstappen, but I just think that there are so many races now that even in a classic season I wouldn't have remembered much of it. Even for 2021, I can remember the odd thing here or there but the calendar is massively oversaturated.

[SophieB]

Honestly, I genuinely can't remember any of the races this season - despite watching them all. If someone was to remind me 'X driver crashed there' or 'there was a battle between X and Y there' I would probably twig, but of the top of my head I've no idea what happened at Silverstone, Spa, Austria, [insert any other race].

 

Probably some recency bias but I did enjoy the whole Vegas weekend. The whole drama on Friday, as painful and cringing as it was, was kind of entertaining for the wrong reasons (not for the fans that had paid for it obviously!). I enjoyed the race, it was a track that had a 'different' layout to most of the Tilke cookie-cutter stuff...a battle for the lead, plus that final corner had an epic camera shot. 

 

But yeah, it's been a forgetful season...which is a shame really as it's been really close behind Verstappen, but I just think that there are so many races now that even in a classic season I wouldn't have remembered much of it. Even for 2021, I can remember the odd thing here or there but the calendar is massively oversaturated.

Yes. I’m sure at the time I enjoyed a lot of these races, even when I knew going in who was going to win. It’s just like they don’t live in the memory afterwards. I think it is the sheer volume, as you say, because this was happening for me when Lewis was winning nearly all the time too.